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List:       kde-devel
Subject:    Re: starting to write a KDE auto-installer
From:       Roberto Teixeira <maragato () kde ! org>
Date:       2001-08-21 21:18:28
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Em Tuesday 21 August 2001 18:02, Nick Betcher escreveu:
> Hello everyone, me again.
>
> 	I see everyone making many points that I don't agree will work very well.
> Here is what I would like to point out:
>
> 	I plan to make this a stand a lone program. Not a frontend to apt or other
> such backends.
> 

IMHO one of the most important "features" of open source is code reusability 
(btw, this used to be a hype word in the past). I think it would be much 
wiser to build on top of an already proven technology. Apt is a library and 
as such it can be integraded (and statically linked) inside your programs. 
That's code reusability.

> 	Apt is getting *way* too much attention here. I'll re-state my position on
> it again. Apt supports TWO packaging types. KDE is for Unix computers, not
> Debian and Mdk/RH specificly. I can't have half the program compensate for
> Slackware packages that don't have proper dependencies and then just turn
> around and let apt take over for Debian and Redhat. That isn't a very
> consistant program and would (possibly) favor *certain* distributions. I'm
> thinking about using KPackage if it supports more than RPM and Deb (can
> someone confirm this?). Please, everytime I talk about the installer all I
> hear is "apt, apt, apt".

So I repeat. Use an already existing library (libapt) and change it. Port it 
to support other kinds of packages. Apt used to be dep-specific until we 
ported it to rpms.

Still it is better to improve something that already exists and is used by a 
lot of people than create Yet Another Installer(tm)

On the other hand, Waldo's comments are very important. KDE does not provide 
binary packages, instead it is the distributor's resposability to provide 
with convenient ways to install/upgrade. That does not mean someone should 
not create an installer (provided it is released under an open source 
license) so that distributors might use it if it's better than the original 
distribution mechanism.

> 	Most of all I'm quite interested in the Ximian installer, but I've also
> heard about a lot of other programs from certain people. I'd like to hear
> more about other alternatives. What we REALLY need most of all is a library
> (not program) that can deal with many different types of packages. The
> more, the better.

I don't think Red Carpet is the way to go. Red Carpet works because Ximian 
has spent a lot of time (and possibly resources) into creating official 
binary packages for a few specific distributions.

I think everyone has the right to write their own installers from scratch, 
but I think one may do a better job if standing on giant's shoulders as 
someone put it a long time ago. :)

Please consider building on top of Apt or some other existing technology.

regards,

	Roberto.

-- 
http://www.kde.org | http://www.conectiva.com

Genetics explains why you look like your father, and if you don't, why
you should.
 
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